Mail-chute.



A. K. SMITH.

MAIL GHUTE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1909.

1,087,1 94, Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

FIG; 1.

WITNESSES [NYE/v7.02

W file-mule K. SMITH UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE. I

ARTHUR, K. SMITH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CUTLER MAIL CHUTE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Let'ters Patent.

Original application filed January 2, 1909, Serial No. 470,391. Divided and this application filed July 29, 1909. Serial No. 510,200.

11 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR K. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mail- Chutes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mail chute of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the molding utilized for holding the glass panel in position. Fig. l is an enlarged sectional view of a modified form of molding.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail chutes, and particu larly to the molding or pane support utilized in holding the front glass or panel in position, this application being a division of an application filed by me January 2, 1909, Serial No. 470,391.

The object of my present invention is to provide simple, inexpensive means which may be readily applied to mail chutes and which rigidly maintains in proper position the glass panels which form the front wall of the chute.

A further object of my invention is to form the molding in two parts and to so construct said parts that when the same are assembled they are pivotally connected to one another and yieldingly engage the supporting wall and glass panel, thus maintaining the latter in proper position without the use of separate fastening means, such as rivets, screws or bolts.

To the above purposes, my invention con-' sists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 5 designates a suitably fixed support which is engaged by hooks 6, carried by a back wall 7 of the chute and hinged to said back wall is one of the side walls 8 of the swinging portion of the chute, the front portions of said side walls being bent inwardly at right angles to the body portions of said side walls as designated 10 is the front wall or panel of glass which is mounted in a two-piece molding constructed as follows: The exposed portion of the molding 11 has its free edge in engagement with the panel 10 and is then bent rearwardly and inwardly as designated by 12, and the inwardly bent portion of said wall 12 forms-asurface against which the inner flange 9 of the side wall of thechute bears. The inner edge of this wall 12 is bent rearwardly and then outwardly around the edgeof the side wall flange 9, and the extreme out edge of this bent portion is folded as at 13 to form a longitudinally disposed groove or socket for the other member of the molding. The inner portion of the molding consists of a wall let which bears against the inner surface of the glass panel 10, its outer edge being bent inwardly to form a wall 15 which cooperates with the flange 9 of the side wall of the chute. The inner edge ofwall 15 is provided with a flange 16 which is received in the groove 13 forming a pivotal connection between the two portions of the molding, and about which axis said members may move.

In assembling, the inner and outer portions of the molding are preferably arranged in proper relation to each other and in position on the edge of the side wall, and the chute is now introduced into position. In passing between the walls 12 and 15 this flange will tend to spread said walls, which spreading action, being on one side (the outer) of the pivotal connection, will cause the inner edges of the walls 11 and let to tend to move toward each other, said parts acting as lovers of the first order, which inward movement, however, is resisted by the glass panel. \Vhen the flange 9 is inserted between the walls 12 and 15, the Walls 11 and 14 which are resilient, are under a constant tension which is exerted not only to clamp the glass panel 10 between their inner edges, but also to clamp a flange of the chute wall between their outer edges, the pressure exerted at both points being equal.

By the above construction of molding it is possible to make the outer portion of said molding of more expensive metal than the inner portion; for instance, the outer portion may be made of bronze and the inner portion of rolled iron or steel. A saving in the cost of material may thus be effected. By making the inner and outer portions resilient, and pivotally connecting them together so that they act upon the two parts, to wit, the all flange and the glass, with a uniform pressure, any irregularities in the thickness of the glass will be compensated for, so that no crevice into which mail matter may be'caught will be left. Furthermore, this resiliency which permits the two portions of the in olding to adapt themselves to diflerent thicknesses of glass and irregularities in manufacture of the chute, enables the construction to be made cheaply by machinery, practically dispensing with all hand labor incident to fine and accurate adjustment of the parts and close fitting.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

I claii 1. A panel support for mail chutes embodying a side wall, a pair of independent n'iolding strips having free edges in engage ment with the panel on opposite sides thereof, said molding strips being in engagement with opposite surfaces of the side wall and engaging each other at a point adjacent to one surface of the side wall whereby to clamp the panel.

2. A panel support for mail chutes embodying a side wall, a pair of independent molding strips having free edges in engagement with the panel, said molding strips being in engagement with opposite surfaces of the side wall and having pivotal connection with each other at a point adjacent to one surface of the side wall whereby to clamp the panel.

3. A panel support for mail chutes com prising a side wall, a pair of molding strips, one of said strips having an integral flange or projection and a jaw adapted to engage the surface of the panel, the other of said strips having a groove or recess cooperating with said flange and a jaw adapted to engage the opposite surface of the panel, and portions on said strips adapted to engage opposite surfaces of the side wall, the engagement of said portions of the strips with the side wall serving to clamp the jaws against the panel.

4;. A panel support for mail chutes con1- prising a side wall, a pair of molding strips, one of said strips having an integral flange or projection and a jaw adapted to engage the surface of the panel, the other of said strips having a groove or recess cooperating with said flange and a jaw adapted to engage the opposite surface of the panel, and pertions on said strip arranged to engage opposite surfaces on the side wall, the coop crating flange and groove on the respective strips affording a pivotal connection between the same arranged intermediate the points of clamping the panel and side wall respectively.

A mail chute embodying side walls provided with flanges at sides extending toward each other, in combination with a panel arranged between said flanges and moldings for holding the panel arranged at the sides thereof, each of said moldings composed of two separate sheet metal strips, the outer strips having their free edges engaging the face of the panel, thence extending around the edge thereof, thence over and in contact with the outer faces of the chute flanges and around the inner edges of the latter, and the inner molding strips having their free edges engaging the inner face of the panel, thence extending outwardly toward the sides of the chute, thence inwardly in contact with the chute flanges and into engagement with the inner edges of the outer molding strips.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of July, 1909.

ARTHUR K. SMITH.

l/VllJIlGSSGS ALMA Gnnnanr, Lnnonn CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

